Architecture + Design Scotland

Commonwealth Games Village

21 June 2010

Introduction

This report relates to the proposed masterplan for the 2014 Commonwealth Games Village, which will be used initially as accommodation for the athletes competing in the Games and, thereafter, will form a new residential area in the east end of the Glasgow.  The designs were presented at an A+DS Design Review meeting held on 25^th May 2010 in Edinburgh. 

A+DS were first presented with proposals for the Commonwealth Games Village masterplan by RMJM, developed in support of Glasgow's bid for the 2014 Games, at a Design Review Meeting in February 2006 and a restricted report was subsequently issued in March 2006.  Following the award of the Games to Glasgow in November 2007 the developing brief for the project and wider plans for the Games, including the East End Local Development Strategy (EELDS), and the National Indoor Sports Arena (NISA), were presented to A+DS by Glasgow City Council at a Design Review Meeting in February 2008. A letter outlining our observations was issued in March 2008. In October 2009, both the games and legacy masterplans were presented at a Design Review meeting again, along with detailed proposals of the various spaces and house types that would be created, and a restricted report was issued in November 2009.

A+DS Views

1          General comments

1.1       We are pleased to be given another opportunity to comment on such a nationally significant project and thank the project team for their concise presentation. We support them, and the City, in their vision to deliver an exemplary new residential area for the east end of Glasgow, as well as accommodation for the athletes competing in the Commonwealth Games.  This is an exciting project and we recognise the challenges it presents for the project team, in terms of regenerating the area and creating a backdrop for the 2014 Games.  As such, we offer the following comments for consideration.

2          Masterplan

2.1       General

We are immensely supportive of the high quality holistic scheme that the project team presented. We also commend the design process they have engaged in thus far and encourage them to execute their design aspirations in order to realise what could be an exemplary place to live. 

2.2       Landscaping

We note the series of organic landscape spaces used to link the various character zones across the development. The images of well-established landscaping are commendable, however, we have no indication of how these will be achieved in time for the 2014 Games and maintained as part of the new residential area. We therefore suggest that a strategy is devised that identifies the required means for procuring and maintaining these key areas. 

2.3       Connectivity

We understand that further development is planned for the area to the south west of the site following the completion of the Games in 2015, to connect the new residential area to the existing communities in South Dalmarnock. The current proposals for the Games Village are predominantly 2¹/₂ storey terraced houses with instances of 3 storey detached villas and 7 storey apartment blocks. We therefore suggest that any buildings proposed along the south west edge of the site be increased in scale in keeping with the taller tenement buildings on Dalmarnock Rd. This will also create a gateway to the new residential area that will continue to celebrate the legacy of the 2014 Games.  

3          Housing

3.1       Relationship of Blocks

We support the project team's decision to merge the previously proposed smaller residential blocks on the south west edge of the site to form larger more meaningful well-defined areas. These benefit from clear front to back relationships between the housing blocks and offer a series of adaptable public/private spaces with a good variety of character throughout the Games Village. We also welcome the priority given to people over cars throughout the development; however, we are concerned with the proposed provision of private space within each of the blocks, which appears to be limited as a result of this concept.  

3.2       Design

We previously suggested that the tenement buildings existing within the site boundary could be retained as part of the Games Village. However, we accept the demolition of these buildings as they are not listed and better examples of tenement building types exist throughout the city. Conversely, the proposed designs for the housing demonstrate a real identifiable character and quality, which we suggest could be listed in the future if the project team's vision is realised in the detailing and construction of the development. We are apprehensive, however, about the proposals to use different materials to distinguish between private and social housing throughout the Games Village. Consequently, we suggest that the project team work in collaboration with the planners and the housing association to identify a palette of materials that creates unity across the character zones and allows it to be constructed ‘tenure blind' hence removing the potential for stigma within the new residential area. 

3.3       Energy Performance

We commend the project team's aspiration to deliver energy efficient housing that achieves an Eco-Homes ‘Excellent' standard. In implementing this, they will also need to take cognisance of the upcoming changes to the Building Standards in 2010 and planned changes in 2013 and 2016, in terms of reductions in carbon emissions. As residents will take possession of their new homes from 2015 onwards, we suggest that the homes should be designed to satisfy the planned 2016 Building Standards. However, it is not clear if the project team intends for the homes to comply with these standards through construction or when the buildings are converted following the Games.

3.4       Post Games

We welcome the degree of flexibility incorporated in to the designs for the proposed house types, which allows them to be easily converted from athletes accommodation in to residents housing and adapted to suit their changing needs over time. We would like to learn more about how this will be undertaken, with regard to what retrofitting will be involved, how wastage will be reduced, and whether any internal fabric alterations will be required? We also suggest that any fixtures and fittings installed for the games be re-used where possible to reduce cost and remain as a mark of the 2014 Games on the new residential area. 

4          Legacy of the Games

4.1       We recognise that there will be a requirement for temporary accommodation to be erected on site throughout the course of the Games. This will carry significant cost implications and we therefore suggest that consideration should be given as to how any of the structures required as part of the Games could be utilised thereafter as community facilities or retrofitted to commemorate the legacy of the 2014 Games.  

Conclusion

We are immensely supportive of what is clearly a high quality scheme. We applaud the project team and Glasgow City Council for producing an exemplary masterplan that displays much imagination and conviction. The housing typologies proposed demonstrate a tangible and identifiable character that have the potential to set a precedent for volume housing in the future in terms of design and sustainability. Ultimately, however, the development of the new residential area will be judged on the success of the 2014 Games and the legacy it leaves in the east end of Glasgow. In this respect we encourage the project team to continue with the same level of rigour, applied to the proposals thus far, to some of the finer details of the designs relating to the establishment of the landscaping, the materiality of the housing and the re-use of the buildings required to facilitate the 2014 Games.

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